The African Kingdom of Gold: Britain and the Asante Treasure [Hardcover]

Empire. Plunder. Resistance.The forgotten history of Britain, Ghana and the Asante gold.
LONGLISTED FOR THE CUNDILL HISTORY PRIZE

'A compelling, challenging and important book.'William Boyd

1874. Kumasi, the Asante capital, burns. British soldiers prowl the palace, looting as much gold as they can find, before razing it to the ground. In Britain the soldiers are feted as heroes. In 1896 they return, looting the palace a second time and carrying off more gold to London in triumph.

Royalty, aristocracy and London’s most illustrious museums divide the spoils. ‘It is scarcely possible to do justice to the variety and beauty of these specimens,’The Timesdeclares. There are golden masks, swooping eagles and an exquisitely wrought ram’s head. Onempomponsou– a ceremonial sword – comes wrapped in a leopard skin sheath.

Tracing the course of Britain’s wars with the Asante alongside the course of its plundered relics, Barnaby Phillips weaves a thrilling and poignant tale of imperial ambition and African resistance. Travelling from the Gold Coast to the museum galleries, officers’ mess rooms and aristocratic homes of Britain,The African Kingdom of Goldconfronts us with urgent questions about the legacy of Empire and, in particular, how our museums should respond.Barnaby Phillipsspent over twenty-five years as a journalist, reporting for the BBC from Mozambique, Angola, Nigeria and South Africa before joiningAl JazeeraEnglish. He is the author ofAnother Man’s WarandLoot. He grew up in Kenya and now lives in London.'Abrilliantwork of historical and cultural investigation.A compelling, challenging and important book.' —William Boyd'Magnificent…The history is laid out with clarity and conviction… What makes the book all the more valuable is its contemporary resonance.'lc2